NEW ORLEANS — Extra evacuation buses. More storm shelters. A guide to doing hurricane preparation on a budget.
Because of the recession, the nation’s coastal communities are preparing to help more people evacuate if a hurricane approaches, especially residents who cannot afford to escape on their own.
“The way the economy is, nobody is able to just pick up and leave,” said Bryant St. Amant, a 39-year-old oysterman in Bayou La Batre on the Alabama coast. “You’ve got to put gas in the car and stock up on supplies.”
After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, St. Amant’s family was temporarily homeless and endured life in a government-issued trailer.
In Louisiana, officials are prepared to provide more transportation and have vowed to improve conditions at shelters, with more showers and roomier sleeping arrangements.
Hurricane season began June 1 and ends Nov. 30.
